Entrepreneurs find farmers markets a good early test of product demand
When Robert Fecteau wanted to test the market for his own bread recipes while working for Five Loaves Bakery in Spencer, he didn’t turn to his own storefront or online sales. Rather, he brought his products to the Crompton Collective farmers market in Worcester’s Canal District.
The result? His products sold so well that he founded Birch Tree Bread Co., a bakery and coffee shop in the city.
“Markets pull in a wider client base than you ever could do on your own,” Fecteau said. “When we opened the doors here, people had already heard about us and anticipated it. So it was a good entry.”
Before they rent store space ...
For entrepreneurs like Fecteau, the cost of a storefront can be exorbitant when they’re assessing product demand. But some look to fairs and open markets to test products and develop a following before they take the plunge into a brick-and-mortar store.
Throughout New England, markets and fairs attract thousands of people who peruse items from local vendors. In Boston, the SOWA open market brings in thousands of people looking for everything from local produce to antiques. Next door to Central Massachusetts, the Brimfield Antique Fair pulls in more than 130,000 people to week-long shows. This massive amount of foot traffic is being accessed by Worcester business owners who are looking to get started or expand their customer base. Farmers markets and fairs, which generally take place throughout the warmer months — though some are year-round — can provide an inexpensive jumping-off point. For the price of a tent, tables and market fees, one gains access to thousands of customers.
“Markets are a great way to reach new customers, get rid of excess inventory, or a way to test interest in a new product,” said Amy Chase, who owns Crompton Collective and got her start selling vintage clothing at fairs such as SOWA and out of a bus in Boston.
There is also a broad array of retailers at these events — allowing business owners to make connections that can bring new inventory into their stores or generate sales.
“You never know who you’re going to meet, what kind of work you are going to get out of them or who they could know,” Craig Farnsworth, owner of Farnswood in Worcester, which specializes in industrial antiques, said.
Marketing strategy
To make the most of these in-person appearances, leaning on social media and networking is important, said Candace Atchue, who co-owns Seed to Stem, a plant and gift shop in Worcester. The business, which has operated out of a storefront on Shrewsbury Street for three years, got its start at local fairs. But last year, Atchue and business partner Virginia Orlando sold their wares at Brimfield for the first time. They handed out 2,000 business cards in a week and have seen an increase in both online and in-store sales since, Atchue said.
“I think it’s particularly good for people who want to spread the word about their business even if they are already established. They can reach a different area or a different crowd of clientele,” she said.
Transition to brick and mortar
While some businesses will always focus on the markets and fairs, many transition to retail locations, said Farnsworth. His own Worcester store grew out of the need to store large industrial items, such as industrial cabinets and advertising signs. Incorporating sales hours allows people to see all his products in one location, he said.
As Birch Tree Bread expanded, Fecteau needed to find adequate space to bake — leading him to his current space in the Canal District. The need for this room can push business owners to invest in a location, he said. For other retailers, the need is simpler: just storefronts to display and sell.
But even more established retailers continue to find time to bring their wares to markets and fairs.
Ashley Troy, for one, has been operating the Trunk and Disorderly consignment shop on Main Street in Worcester for three years and still uses fairs to move products and meet new customers.
“It’s guaranteed foot traffic. You know people are going to be out because it only happens a few times a year,” she said of the Brimfield Fair. “As the day goes by I can just see the Instagram and Facebook likes go up.”
With 91 handmade or antiques dealers at Crompton Collective and a weekly farmers market, the location has become the city’s own foundation for businesses growing out of market.
“These markets attract customers from all over New England,” Chase said. “If you capture their info or make sure they keep in touch with you, you can promote to them year round and hopefully transition them to shoppers of your permanent location.”
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